In last week’s article we saw how local initiative was on the rise following the departure of the British.
Today’s account continues to shed light on the sporting developments towards the end of the twentieth century leading to the dawn of the new millennium.
The Malta Cricket Association was formed in 1989 yet the first cricket match to be played on the Maltese Islands was held more than 110 years before, precisely in 1878 at the Verdala Palace Ground between British Services regiments stationed at the Cottonera and Valletta areas in which the latter won by 118 runs.
Such matches continued on regular basis with St Edward’s College in Cottonera introducing cricket in the sports curriculum in the early thirties, a factor considered to be a breakthrough at the time.
Between 1930 and 1960 a keen rivalry developed between Floriana Cricket Club and Kalkara Cricket Club until the former was disbanded in 1962.